CrossFit Diet

Go Inside the CrossFit Diet

As a CrossFit newbie, I didn't know what to expect when I attended the 2014 CrossFit Games (as a guest of Reebok), but I knew I'd learn a thing or two about the muscle-building workout movement. While I did learn a lot from watching "the fittest on Earth" battle it out on the field, one thing was clear — those muscles are as much made in the CrossFit box as they are in the kitchen. Want to know what it takes to fuel a body that's ready for all those intense WODs? Here's a primer on what many CrossFit pros eat.

What do Paleo-loving weight lifters reach for when they need to bulk up? Meat, of course — and lots of it. While I'm sure vegan or vegetarian CrossFit fans exist, they don't call Paleo the caveman diet for nothing. Lindsey Valenzuela, who finished second in the 2013 CrossFit Games, says she starts and ends her day with six ounces of protein and snacks on salami in between workouts. Even the protein powder was once grazing on grass — this Paleo protein powder, which I tried during the CrossFit Games, is made from a meat and egg slurry that's been dried and turned into powder. While it may not taste anything like meat, it's hard to get that image out of your head when you're drinking the chocolate- or vanilla-flavored beverage.

A workout movement that encourages bacon consumption? Sign us up. CrossFitters may love any kind of quality meat, but when it comes down to which cut reigns king, it's (sugar-free) bacon or bust. Reebok, which sponsors the CrossFit Games, even passed out bacon-wrapped jalepenos, pork belly, and more to hungry fans throughout the weekend.

Well, at least most of the time. It was great to see such high-quality foods available at the CrossFit Games — you usually don't see the words "organic" and "grass-fed" advertised when you're at a sporting complex, or even vendors proudly proclaiming the existence of spinach salad on their menus, for that matter. But lest you think that you'll never see a piece of bread again if you want to be a serious CrossFit contender, think again: even the pros indulge in non-Paleo foods from time to time. Lindsey says that her normal Paleo and Zone diets "go out the window," during competition time, since she has so much adrenaline. "I'll eat a hamburger, I'll eat bread, I'll eat peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches," she says. CrossFit Games veteran Josh Everett puts it this way: "Paleo or whole foods is the foundation, but I'm not super strict."

All that muscle is bound to burn a lot of calories, no matter what you're doing, so it's no surprise that CrossFitters have to eat. A lot. "I easily burn 2,000 calories throughout the day coaching and working out," says CrossFit Anywhere owner Blair Morrison, adding that he eats 4,500 calories a day just to maintain his current weight. He says he makes sure to keep it clean by avoiding sugar and dairy.

Dude, you sound a little angry. You should chill - stress kills. You're gonna waste all that effort to live forever.

30 weeks

I love you cause you said things I really wanted to say to so many 'Canary-ies' out there. :)

30 weeks

You have little understanding of human nutrition or human physiology with a statement like "humans are omnivores". Human's have no conditioning nor propensity to eat animals. There is no species on this planet, of the millions that exist, that has to cook their food to eat it. The cooking of meat creates Heterocyclic amines, read about it. Try eating your steak raw like true omnivores do. It wont happen. No other animal needs to use fire to ingest its given foods, have someone else kill their foods, nor use guns to kill their prey. When you goto a zoo does your mouth salivate when you look at the animals? I guess not because you have no instincts to eat animals. You show up a supermarket, get your little piece of meat in a plastic container with no blood, pain or death and say oh...im a meat eater. Real meat eaters have teeth to eat there foods. You do not have those either. Your teeth are flat for grinding up plants. And dont tell me you have canines dog, cause Ill ask you to rip into a cow with them and show me your meat eating skills, Your being is more inline with monkeys who are plant eaters. We are Frugivores. Bacon is by no means a human food and has been shown in clinical and laboratory studies to accelerate cancer, cause hardening of the arteries as well of a host of other diseases. It has been shown in the Harvard Nurses study, which you more than likely have no idea what that is, that non meat eaters have lower incidence of cancer and a much lower mortality rate than meat eaters. You pretty much don't know anything just that u "love" bacon. I guess your proper diet revolves around what u "love' not what your body needs to maintain health. So in the end, many who have tried cocaine say they loved it, so I guess this would make it qualify to you as proper for humans. You have no idea what vegan food is since you call it rabbit food. You are pretty much a guy, who is not educated in much, spouting off online. So I will tell you this, produce for me peer reviewed science that shows eating meat is healthy. For every one study you produce, I will produce 3 that say the exact opposite. Deal? Done...booom...

Meat in moderation is perfectly healthy. Humans are omnivores. Plenty of vegans end up dying of cancer and other bad diseases anyway. I personally would not do paleo, but it sounds a lot more balanced (not to mention delicious) than your average vegan diet. But if you genuinely like rabbit food all the time, more power to you :P Mmmmm bacon...

30 weeks

I totally agree.

30 weeks

Stupidest fitness movement I have ever seen. Where do you mention roid's and stimulants? These are also prevalent amongst cross fitters. Eating exaggerated amounts of meat for health goes against everything we have come to learn about the human diet. Good luck in your 30's and 40's battling heart disease, type-2 diabetes, cancer risk and obesity once the 20 workouts a week stops. This is as crazy as it gets. Read population studies and read some clinical and lab research before you join this moronic group. Consuming meat for health? Seriously? Ill put my vegan body and strength up against any of them. Ridiculous....